This invention relates in general to hoisting equipment and more particularly, to a portable lifting apparatus for lifting and transferring incapacitated persons.
Lifting devices are well known. Such devices typically include a base, a mast extending upwardly from the base, and a boom extending forwardly from the mast. The boom generally supports a carriage by which the patient can be completely suspended from the lifting device. Rollers depending from the base enable the device and thus the patient to be transferred.
Size (i.e., length and width) of a lifting device contributes to the stability (or instability) of the device and its ability to be easily navigated. The ability of the lift device to be folded into a compact form contributes to its ease of transportation and storage. It is well known to provide lift devices with legs that open and close by operation of a foot pedal. Prior art lifts have legs that operate to open and close over a single range of motion. There is no definitive differentiation between the motion of the legs when the legs are moved to an opened position (i.e., during operation of the lift) and when the legs are moved to the closed position (i.e., during transportation and storage of the lift). If the legs are not sufficiently opened during operation of the lift, the stability of the lift may be affected and the patient's safety may be compromised. If the legs do not close sufficiently, then ease in transportation and storage of the lifting device may be affected.
A portable patient lift is needed with spreadable support legs having a feature that enables the legs to be sufficiently opened during operation of the lift and sufficiently closed into a compact form for transportation and storage.